Ash Arder: Flesh Tones, Notes on Butter

☀️ Artist Ash Arder tells us about her piece, "Untitled (Notes on Butter,)" on view now at Cranbrook Art Museum as a part of her solo exhibition, "Ash Arder: Flesh Tones."
🧈 The title "Notes on Butter" references the advice jazz trumpeter Miles Davis gave to pianist Herbie Hancock of “don’t play the butter notes,” referring to certain musical notes in compositions that were the “fat” or “excess.” In this series of photographs, Arder melts Cadillac hood ornament molds of butter onto pancakes and shea butter molds onto her own body via sitting in the sun.
♻️ Although these materials need to be preserved with energy-oftentimes in ways not ecologically beneficial-they are necessary due to their comforting and nutritional properties. A green future can include such consumption and enjoyment while also providing the necessities to sustain us.
🚗 "Ash Arder: Flesh Tones" is on view now through February 25, 2024.